Speed-recording mechanism.



L. L. BLOOH.

SPEED REGOBDING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED MAY 27, 1909.

954,921 Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

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SPEED RECORDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION TILED MAY 27, 1909.

Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

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LEON LOUIS BLOCH, OF LA CHAUX-DE-FONDS, SWITZERLAND.

SPEED-RECORDING MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Leon LOUIS BLocH, watch-manufacturer, citizen of France, residing at La Chaux-del onds, Canton of Neuchatel, Switzerland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Speed- Recording Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an automatic apparatus for registering the speed of a vehicle.

In the annexed drawings which. illustrate the invention by way of example, Figure 1 is an elevation. Fig. 2 is a detailed view in elevation and to enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line A E of Fig. 2.

The apparatus illustrated comprises a clockwork movement with an automatically winding spring barrel and controlling the unrolling of a ribbon adapted to receive inscriptions from a totalizing meter with disks the periphery of which is provided with types adapted to impress numbers on the said ribbon, this meter being operated by one of the wheels of the vehicle and by a source of current.

The clockwork movement comprises a bar rel spring a driving the pinion b of the escapement wheel 0 through the intermediary of pinions or wheels (Z, c, f and g. The main spring of the barrel is kept stressed by a pawl it held under the action of a spring 2, in the teeth of a ratchet 7c. The shaft of the barrel (4 carries a pinion Z which drives a pinion m, the shaft of which is solid with a pulley n and with a spool 0, through the intermediary of wheels 39 and q. The shaft of the wheel (I carries a drum 8 around which is wound a long band or ribbon of paper t which passes around the circumference of the spool 0 and is rolled around a drum 2/. which is solid with a pulley n connected to the pulley a by a flexible member, strap or cord .2? or the like with the object of continuously holding the paper band 25 stretched. The spool 0 is provided with any suitable means (not shown) to insure a reg ular movement of the band without slip. The barrel (4 drives also, through the intermediary of a wheel g and a pinion e, a disk 1 carrying, electrically insulated, a pin 2 which, at each turn of this disk, raises a detent 3, pivoted at 4., by means of the movable nose 5 which a spring 6 continuously tends to hold against a fixed foot 7.

An electrically insulated terminal 8 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 27, 1909.

Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

Serial. No. 498,669.

against which abuts the detent- 3 at each revolution of the disk 1, is connected by a wire 9 to one end of the winding of an electr0- magnet 10 whose other end is connected, by a wire 11, to one pole 12 of an electric battery 13. The other pole 1 1 of this battery is connected by a wire 15 to the pivoted detent 3. The pole piece 16 of the electromagnet 10 has two parts 1? and 18 each curved in the form of an are traced from a center which is also the pivot of an armature 19 or 20. The armature 19 is pivoted at 21 and terminates in a spring 23 the end of which bears against a fixed foot 24. On this armature 19 pivoted a pawl 25, having a spring 26, which pawl tends continuously to engage the teeth of the ratchet 7-1 of the barrel.

The clock movement is such that the disk 1 makes ten revolutions per hour, or one revolution in six minutes. Ten times per hour the pin 2 will lift the detent 3 and establish a contact with the terminal 8, closing the electric circuit in which is included the electro-magnet 10. To each of these contacts will correspond one attraction of the armature by the pole piece 16 in the direction of the arrow 27, and the winding by a fraction of a turn of the main-spring of the barrel by the pawl 25 acting on the ratchet 7c. The armature 19 in being lowered under the action of the electromagnet, after having acted by its pawl, on the ratchet Z; will abut with its claw 28 against the nose 5 of the detent 3 pivoted at 5 and reopen the electric circuit, permitting the armature to resume its initial position. The clock movement drives the spool 0 in such manner that the paper strip 2? moves at a speed of five milli meters in six minutes.

The armature 20 is connected with a lever 29 pivoted at 30 and carrying, pivoted on it at 31, a meter with three disks 32, 33, 3a each provided on its circumference with the numerals 0 to 9 and each being solid with a ratchet 35, 36 or 37 respectively, each ratchet having a series of ten teeth corresponding to one of the nun'ierals of the disk. In each disk these teeth are of equal depth except that 38 corresponding to the numeral 9, which is deeper than the others. The ratchets 35, 36, 37 are of different diameters, that is to say the diameter measured at the points of the teeth of the second ratchet 36 is less than the diameter measured at the bottom of the teeth of the first ratchet 35 and the diameter mea ured at the point of the teeth of the third ratchet 3T smaller than the diameter measured at the bottom of the teeth of the second ratchet 36. Only the deep teeth 38 is the same depth in all three ratchets.

it the upper end of the lever 29 is pivoted at a lever -.t-0 carrying three pawls l1. l2, l each acting on one of the ratchets 9?, ST and to the upper end of which is pivoted a finger ii which a spring e25 tends to press continuou against a fixed spur to. it fixed abutment a! is placed in the path of the finger ll. so that when the lever 29 oscillates in the direction of the arrow l8, under the electro-ma 'nctic action of the pole-piece 16. the finger it rotates a fraction of a revolution, the pawls l1, l2, d3 continuing to act on their respective ratchets, but when, under the action of a spring 4L9, the lever it moves back, the finger iHT held by the spur l6 abuts with its inclined taco against the abutn'ient l7 and causes the lever at) to oscillate a fraction of a revolution in the direction of the arrow .31, which oscillation places the three pawls ll, l2, i3 out of the reach of their respective ratchets.

Each of the disks, 32, 33, 3t carries in a circular depression a spiral spring 52 one end of which is attached to the shaft 53 on which are mounted the said disks, while the other end terminates in a hook 5i, Fig. 2, entering one of the tour notches 55 of the depression in which the spiral spring is housed so that the said springs remain constantly stressed but without their tension being increased. This arrangement is that which is employed in horology in the barrelsprings of watches known by the name of fdoskopt." The spiral springs 52 are stressed in such a direction that the ratchets tend constantly to act against their respective pawls ll,

Each of the three ratchets carries a foot 56 intended to stop its circular movement under the action of its spiral spring when the pawls ail, l8 cease to act on the said ratchets. The position of each disk, when the foot- 56 abuts against the spring 57 secured to the lever 29, is such that the numeral Zero of each disk is opposite the part 58 of the paper band 5 on which it will strike when the lever 29 oscillates in the direction of the arrow -18 under the action of the electromagnet. In the position of rest (Fig. 1.) the spring l9 holds the lever 29 pressed against a stop 59.

In a bridge 60 is pivoted at 61 and G a strap 63 carrying a pivoted pawl (ll with three noses 65, (S6, (37 equidistant from the axis of the shaft 53 and each adapted to engage in one of the ratchets 35, 36 or 37, under the action of a pin (38 fixed to a disk 69 on a wheel 70 which operates, through the intermediary of pinions Tl, and wheel T3. a roller T l acting by friction on a disk solid with the pinion T2. The roller H: is connected by a flexible cable T6 to a pinion, wheel, roller or the like, actuated by one of the wheels of the vehicle, in such manner that the disk (3.) makes one revolution for each hcctometer. Thus, every hundred meters, the pin (38 will act in the direction of the arrow 7? under the strap (3:), so as to cause one of the teeth ot the ratchets to be advanced by means of their respective pawls 65, 66 or 6.

lVhcn the pawl (35 after nine hectometers have been traveled by the vehicle will. have rotated the disk 32 through S/lOths of a revolution, at the tenth hectometer this pawl will fall into the deep tooth 38 Off the ratchet which will allow the pawl (36 to approach the ratchet 36 and rotate this ratchet and its disk until the moment when, this latter having ctl'ccted a complete revolution, the pawl (30 will fall in its turn into the deep teeth of the ratchet 33 thus allowing the pawl 67 to operate the ratchet 37 in its turn.

Every six minutes the winding 01. the electro-magnet- 10 will be traversed by the electric current from the battery 13, the armature 20 will be violently attracted in the direction 01" the arrow 48 and the number indicated by the numerals of the meter opposite the part .58 ot the ribbon or band will be marked on this ribbon by the disks which will occupy the position 32. During this movement. the finger ad has passed over the abutment at? without altering the posh tion of the pawls sll, d2, but as soon as the electric circuit is opened again by the claw 28 of the armature l9 acting on the nose 5 of the detent- 3, as has been above explained, the lever 29 moves back to its initial position and as the finger ll cannot rotate in this direction the lever l0 raised and the three pawls cease to hold the ratchets 35, 3G, 37 which, under the action of their spring 52, reoccupy their initial position so that the Zero of each of the three disks is opposite the part 58 ot the ribbon, each ratchet solid with the disk being held in this position by its foot 50 abutting against the spring 57.

The moven'ient of the lever 29 under the electro-magnetic action is very rapid so that as soon as the number of the meter marked on the ribbon this meter returns to its first position opposite the pawl til with the three noses which continues, as explained, to advance the meter by one numeral for every hectometer traveled until the moment when, after a new period of six minutes, the ribbon Z having advanced 5 mm., the meter again marks on it the number of hectometers traveled by the vehicle during the said period, and so on. It will thus be possible, when the vehicle has been stopped to verify at what speed the vehicle has traveled and the number of hectometers covered, this number being equal to the number of kilometers traveled in one hour.

The casing of the apparatus, not shown in the drawing, may have a shutter or a glass window which permits of ascertaining the speed at which the vehicle is traveling, at any moment.

Instead of an electro-n'lagnet and an electric current other arrangements may be used for operating the oscillating lever carrying the meter and for automatically winding the clockwork barrel for example there may be used a strong barrel with main spring of which the winding could be operated automatically by the cable 72 or one of the movers ot' the train of wheels which this cable operates.

The meter may be operated, for totalizing the numerals and for effecting the return of the disks to zero, by a mechanism other than that described and illustrated.

The movement of one wheel of the vehicle to the disk the pin (38 of which operates the support (33 of the pawls operating the meter may be transmitted by means other than those described, for example by means of electricity or compressed air or by belt or chain transmission.

A ribbon or a piece of fabric impregnated with color may be introduced between the meter and the part 58 where the numerals of the meter strike the paper band 25 so that the numbers may be marked after the manner of a typewriter. Instead of a paper band the device may have one or more paper disks on which the imprint of the numbers of the meter may be marked as on a band, this disk or disks being divided and moved circularly by a predetermined amount. The clockwork movement controlling the movementof the strip or disk intended to receive the indications of the meter may also operate hour, minute and second hands indicating the time on a suitable dial.

The unit of time corresponding to one winding of the barrel of the clockwork and to an impression of the meter on the member intended to receive it may be other than that of six minutes given by way of example; also, the unit of. distance traveled by vehicle and registered by the totalizing meter may be other than the hectometer also given by way of example. The registering device may be placed on any road or railway vehicle or vessel traveling on water or in the air; it su'flices in each case to connect to the totalizing met-er by any suitable means one of the moving members of the said vehicle the speed of rotation of which is in a definite relation to the speed of movement of this vehicle.

Having described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In speed recording mechanism, the combination with means for actuating a record receiving member, of a record indicating device, and means acting independently of the movement of the object whose speed or dis tance of travel is to be measured to simultaneously wind the actuating means and to cause the printing device to operate, substantially as described.

2. In speed recording mechanism, the combination with means for constantly moving a record receiving member, of a meter adapted to indicate records upon said member, and means acting independently of the movement of the object whose speed or distance of travel is to be measured to simultaneously wind the actuating means and to cause the meter to indicate records upon the record receiving member, substantially as described.

3. In speed recording mechanism, the com bination with means for actuating a record receiving member, of a meter adapted to print records on said member, means for op erating the meter to produce records of speed or distance of travel, and means acting independently of the movement of the object whose speed or distance of travel is to be measured to simultaneously wind the actuat ing means and to cause the meter to indicate records on the record receiving member, substantially as described.

4. In speed recording mechanism, the combination with spring influenced means for actuating a record receiving member, of a record printing device and means acting independently of the movement of the object whose speed or distance of travel is to be measured to simultaneously wind the spring influenced actuating means and to cause the printing device to impress a record on the record receiving member, substantially as described.

5. In speed recording mechanism, the combination with a record printing device normally spaced from a record receiving member, of means for actuating the tape, and means acting to simultaneously wind the actuating means and to move the printing device into operative contact with the member, substantially as described.

6. In speed recording mechanism, the combination with a record printing device normally spaced from a record receiving member, of means for actuating the said member, means for operating the printing device to show records of speed or distance, and means acting to simultaneously wind the actuating means and to move the printing device into operative contact with the said member, substantially as described.

7. In speed recording mechanism, the com bination with a clockwork movement for actuating a record receiving member, an armature associated with said clockwork movement, a totalizing meter and printing means carried thereby, an armature carried by the meter, and an electromagnet with means to close the circuit thereto to cause the electromagnet to attract both armat-ures to thereby wind the clockwork movement and to move the printing device into contact with the said member, substantially as described.

8. In speed recording mechanism, the combination with means for actuating a record receiving member, of a meter and printing means carried thereby, means for operating the meter to indicate speed or distance, an electromagnet, an extended pole piece carried thereby, an armature carried by the said actuating means, a second armature carried by the meter, a source of electric current, and means for closing a circuit including the electromagnet whereby both said armatures will be attracted to the pole piece to simultaneously wind the tape operating means and to move the printing means into contact with the said member, substantially as described.

9. In speed recording mechanism, the combination with means for actuating a record receiving member, a totalizing meter comprising a plurality of disks each having suitable indicating characters on its periphery, means for operating said disks from the object whose speed or distance of travel is to be recorded, and means operating to simul- I taneously wind the said actuating member and to cause the meter to impress records upon the record receiving means, substantially as described.

10. In speed recording mechanism, the combination with a clockwork movement for actuating a record receiving member, of a totalizing meter comprising a plurality of disks each having suitable indicating characters on itsperipher ,means for advancing said disks in consonance with the speed or distance traveled, means for preventing the untimely return of said disks, and means acting to simultaneously wind the clockwork movement and to move the meter into contact with the said member, substantially as described.

11. In speed recording mechanism, the combination with means for actuating a record receiving member, of a totalizing meter comprising a plurality of disks each having suitable indicating characters on its periphery, means for advancing said disks, means for moving said disks into contact with the record receiving member, and means for engaging said disks during their advance and printing movement but becoming released from the disks after the latter have printed a record, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I atIiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEON LOUIS BLOCH.

Witnesses ARNOLD Esoorrnr, K. MATI-IEY-VOULZ. 

